Research and Innovation Office

Extramural Coordinated Funding


UM Submission Instructions: Catalyst Awards Program 2023

Sponsor: Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust ,Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust ,Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust ,Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust
Award Title: Catalyst Awards Program
Amount: $350,000
$350,000 over one to two years
UM Deadline: 04/11/2023
Sponsor Deadline: 06/15/2023
Description: The Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust was created by Marian Falk in 1979 to support biomedical research. Mrs. Falk sought to fund “medical research to improve treatments of the past and eventually find cures for diseases for which no definite cure is known.”

The Catalyst Research Award Program provides one year of seed funding to support high-risk, high-reward projects that address critical scientific and therapeutic roadblocks within the Program’s principal areas of focus. The Program is designed to enable planning and development of projects, teams, tools, techniques and management infrastructure necessary to successfully compete for two-year award through the Transformational Research Award Program.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit: 2
Additional Requirements: None
Sponsor Guidelines: https://hria.org/tmf/falkcap/
UM Nominations Process: Those interested in applying should submit the following as a single pdf document to collabor@umn.edu no later than 4pm on 4/11:

1. Cover page including PI name, department, contact information, project title, and one paragraph project abstract.
2. Project summary (not more than three pages).
3. Biosketch of PI (NIH format or similar, not more than five pages).

Any questions can be submitted to collabor@umn.edu.
Peer Review Coordination: Research and Innovation Office contact email
Status: PIs Selected. The following #applicantsallowed# PIs are the official UM nominees:
Swati More, Center for Drug Design,
Robert Schumacher, Center for Translational Medicine
Please note: To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.



General Information

  • Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
  • Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
  • When a link redirects you to another site, it opens in a new browser window.
  • If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Robyn Kennedy.
Column Descriptions

  • Sponsor: redirects you to the sponsor's main website
  • Title/Guidelines: redirects you to sponsor specific information regarding the opportunity which may include description, eligibility, budget instructions, forms and other requirements
  • Amount: Maximum dollar amount awarded.
  • Add’l Req: Identifies special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
  • Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
  • UM Submission Instructions: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
  • # Apps: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
  • UM Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
  • Status:
    • Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
    • In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
    • PI Selected: The PI has been selected as the official UM nominee.
    • Closed: Sponsor deadline has passed and the opportunity is closed for application.
U of M Submission Instructions (Required)

This link includes summary sponsor information, specific instructions for internal submission and contact information for the university office coordinating the nomination process.

  • Follow the directions in the submission instructions and submit required materials by the UM deadline to the contact indicated.
  • Instructions vary according to the requirements of the sponsor and the university office coordinating the nomination process.
Registration (optional)

Registration is an optional but highly recommended feature. Perhaps you are looking for a wider audience for your proposal idea, or for potential collaborators to work with to create a stronger application. Registration allows applicants to share proposal ideas and post contact information.

Registration also provides information that helps the university office overseeing the nomination to determine the level of coordination needed and guide the review process.

To register (or view registrants), click on the UM Submission Instructions for a specific opportunity, then click on the Register Interest link.

Selection Process

  • Once the internal deadline has passed, the status will change to “In Review” and proposals will undergo review.
  • If there are multiple applicants, the office managing the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process.
  • Once review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
  • Nominees will be provided with a letter addressed to the sponsor from the RIO indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
  • SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to “PI Selected”.


*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.

For questions, please contact RIO's Research Advancement group.